Fluid operated clutch



y 1953 F. E. MUNSCHAUER FLUID OPERATED CLUTCH Filed Aug. 25, 1950 Patented May 26, 1953 T OFFICE FLUID OPERATED CLUTCH Frederick E. Munschauer, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor. to Niagara Machine 8; Tool Works, Buffalo, N.

Application August 25, 1950, Serial No. 181,477

4 Claims.

This invention relates to drive means for machinery and particularly to a novel clutch arrangement for connecting and disconnecting the driving and driven portions in power driven machines.

The clutch arrangement of the present invention is particularly advantageous in driving such machines as punch presses, power shears, and the like, where relatively high work output subjects the clutch to very considerable loads. However, the teachings and principles of the invention may be applied wherever the inherent advantages thereof may prove desirable. In presses, shears, and the like the provision of positive drive means is generally desirable and, fundamentally, the present invention provides a novel arrangement of the parts in a positive jaw clutch drive means which is controlled by fluid pressure acting in opposition to spring means.

Provision of a clutch mechanism of the kind thus generally set forth has previously been proposed, but in the present invention the parts are so arranged as to provide a simpler and more compact design arrangement without sacrificing mechanical strength and efliciency. Specifically, the coil spring which is commonly em' ployed to bias the clutch parts to a normally disconnected position is arranged to be located between axially spaced anti-friction bearings which mount the flywheel or other driving wheel of the machine with the result that the diameter of the jaw portions of the clutch parts may be reduced considerably and the necessary axial extent of the clutch mechanism is greatly reduced.

The latter factor is of especial importance where the clutch mechanism is mounted at one end of a drive shaft since it greatly reduces the overhang due to the presence of the clutch mechanism.

While general reference is made herein to fluid pressure operation, the usual source of fluid energy is compressed air. The present clutch mechanism is simpler in construction than those of the prior art, and the arrangement issuch that the action of the compressed air against the piston which engages the clutch is direct and immediate and, therefore, makes for faster disengaged position is borne by parts that remain stationary with the drive shaft. Since the.

clutch is usually disengaged for the major part of the time when the flywheel is running, this is a material factor.

A singleembodiment of the principles of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the following specification. This embodiment is by way of example only and the present invention is not limited to that form or otherwise excepting as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal fragmentary central. cross-sectional View through one form of the device of the-present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a. transverse cross-sectional view on. the line 2-2-01 Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference denote like parts: and the numeral i0 designates a flywheel, gearor other driving wheel element having a hub ll- Numeral l2 designates one end portion of a drive shaft which may comprise the crank shaft of a power press or similar machine wherein theshaft is to be intermittently or selectively rotated by connection with the flywheel or other' driving wheel l0. While shaft l2 may comprisethe crank shaft or eccentric shaft of a punch: press, power shear, or like machine, it may be an intermediate shaft having further driving connection with the ultimate driven shaft of the machine.

['8. A jaw clutch element I9 is fixed to flywheel l0 and, in the illustrated instance, the flywheel. is recessed to receive the clutch element, the latter being secured by means of bolts 20.

A movable clutch element 22 of sleeve form:

has spline connection with shaft l2 as at 23,. whereby it is fixed against rotation relative to shaft [2 but is axially movable thereon. The

end of bore ll which is adjacent to clutch element I9 is likewise enlarged to provide a recess for receiving the outer race of bearing l5, and this outer race is] clamped securely in such recess by clutch element I9.

In the form of the present invention illustrated herein, an adaptor 3!] which supports the entire fluid pressure clutch engaging mechanism is secured to the end of shaft l2 by means of screws 3|, the shaft I2 having a reduced end portion 32 engaging in a complementary recess in adaptor 3G to accurately locate the same. Adaptor 30 is provided witha cylindrical casing portion 34 and a head orcoverplate 35..isscrewed to the outer end of cylindrical portion 34 to provide an operating chamber fonapiston 36.. Coverrplate 35 is. provided centrally, thereof with a: rotary fluid connector 42".

The body of connector 42 remains stationary, and is connected with a relatively stationary pressure supply pipe 43, while an outlet stemmortion; 44 is screwed into cover plate 35 and is freely ro tatable relative to the body fli'ofithe confietttmr The interior details of the conneetonne'ed' notb'e illustrated or described since these devices are freely available commercially: Thesnpplgn pipel 43 will, of course, be provided with conventional control valve means which may be select'iveiy manipulated at the will (it the operator to apply ornotapplyairrpressureetonylinder w A1circtrlarlwarrainged"series of Rpins' 45 is mount-'- ed in adaptor 3B for free axiali sliding :nrovement and. bean-at rtheir opposite :endswagainsthttieend of the: skirt: of 2 piston: and against? thesatij'a I cen't end of: :slitlahle clutch element: :22? match. element 7 2 2: is normally: held: in: the disengaged: position-illustrated iniFi'g:;1. bynveornpression co'i'lf spring; 481 which: bears; att one end against' the inner race ofanti-lfr'ietionrhearing .HL.

The other end of spring 48 bearnagai-nst a collar 49:-whioh is internallmspline'd:toiengage the spline formation 2310f shaft: lzrzamd'sissfreelymslidab'le' therealong. A secondiiritemally'splined'collarfiil 132618139586. against the'facesofqslidable clutch releinent 22 which is toward the.fixedlolnt'chielement I99 and: in effect forms a"; continuation of the splinedibearing .portion of: clut'cnielementzxfi. V

of. spline formation Z23 sbetwee-n the aeollars =4 9' and" fiill-antl-tare of :such zlengthithatt theyxbearz'at their" opposite; ends against: the; teeth: of: the internal? spline-; f01'1ll-a.ti-0Ilsz Of! the-: collarsi wsanti It? will *thus: be. seen rthati the forceaof: spring- M is. direetedrfreelyagainst;axiatli movablezzcliitchi if! ez1ient -22,;the.- forcepfrthet spring being soxtranse mitten? that it: isnunifon nly ldistrilmitedt circume ferentinllwofr-the col-larsatfii'and "llreadianre" eters of thepins-BQfare snoh'.ithatrtlieysslidetfreely in the grooves of spline formations 23 andevzithnr. the inner racez'oftamti-sfnictiondreaming; t5- without interference;

It wilhthusbeeseen thatwspningmmancomplishesi its purpose in arsimnlezandadirect mannen'wliile lt-riS: accommodated win :avsnaoeabetween thexantian axially. slidablel complementary javwclutczh e169"- ment having internal; spline;formationsrand:-imterfittingexternal splineeformatiomsson said drive? shaft, the drive shaft splineformationsattending;

axially to a (pointtbetweensaidganti-Jriction ,bea-r--- ings, an axially slidable internallmsplined collar. engaging the driveshaftspline .formationsrbetween said anti-friction ,bear-ing's, acompression coil spring seatingjat one; end-against! the inn r. race of the anti 'fi i'ction' bearing, whichis, remote from-*tliejaw" clutch elements and'jati, its other,

end against said collar, a" circumferential series of pinsdisposed" between adjacent? splines bf" saiddr ive' shaft-spline formatibn and extending between said collar; I and the =ax-ially slidable "jaw clutchsfelement:whembyrtlie-cdil spring normaily urges the latter to disengaged position, and means for selectively? engaging the; clutch elements againstfaitheeresistance ofisa'id coilsprin i 2. Drive means for power presses, shears and like machines comprising a drive shaft, a normally rotating drive wheel, a pair of axially spa-eedildearing portions mounting said wheel on said shaft for independent rotation, a clutch elementffixedwith respect to said Wheel, an axially slid'ahle complementary clutch element having internal spline formations and interfitting exter- .'nall-zsplineznf:ormations on said drive shaft, the drive shaft spline formations extending axially to" a'" point between said bearing portions, an axially slidable internally splined collar en a ing the drive shaft spline formations between said bearing portions, alcornpression coil spring seat' ing'ratrone endiagainst 'the-nearing portion which isnremotei-fromwhe clutcli elements and at its other end against said collar, a circumferential series :of pins disposed between adj acentsplines of sazidudrive shaft Lspline formation and i extendingztbetweeni said scollar and the axially slida'blecln'tcii elementtwherelay the coil springnormally urgesithg latter to disengaged position, and means fonselectively engaging the clutch elements against: the; resistance; of 2 :saidicoi l spring,

v3. Drive-means for: power; presses; shears and i like machines comprisingao drive shaft, clutch axially. spaced bearing por.tions,- an axiallyslidable'sclutch element-andlinterfittlngspline format-- ti-onsraonsaid. shaft and said: slid'able j clutch 'ele-' ment, the-:drive shaft spline formations extending axially to a point between said bearing portions, an'axially .slidalile-"internally splined collar engagingr the drive shaft: splineuformationsbetween said. bearing, portions; force"n'teanzs loe'tweenv said bearingportions:acting against said collar to-urge' the-same. towardathe slidalo'le :clutch element, and a circumferential series :of i'pins-disposed between adj aeent'splinesx-of'saididrive, shaft spline formation::and: aextendingsbetweena'sai'd collar and said slidableiclutch: elementtwnerebylsaid force meansnormal'ly" urges'the latter 110' 1 disengaged position; 5.4:; Drive 'means'i for' poWe1-*- presses, shears and like: machines: comprising a drive shaft; :clutch means" rotatably mounted 2 thereon by means of axially; spaced? bearing portions; an axially slid-- v EbIEf-Ohltfih elementsand-zinterfitting spline formations on said shaft and said slidable clutch element; the drive shaft spline"- formatiOns eX- tendingaxiallywto-a point between said- 'bearing portions, an; axially, slid'able internally s-plihed =collar=iengae ngtthedrive shaft spline formation between said bearing portions, force means be tween. saidi bearing portions acting against" said collar ltfljul'gfi the 'same'toward' the slida'ble c'lutcn element, andia:ccircumferential seriesiofpins dis posedibetween adjac'ent splines of said=driveshaft spline=formation:andextiending between said collarandisaid slid'able clutch element whereby said force eimeans normally urges the latter to disen-' gagedzposition, :and other: means acting inoppositionl $0.:S2ldl'f0l09'i means 1 for: selectively engaging the clutch elements.

FREDERIGKE: MUN SCHAUER;

References oitea m the,.-file. of this-)patent omrnn STATES: PATENTS;

Number Name Date @5286 Warner Nov; 19, 1889* 2257:006 Hall; Sept; 23;" 1941 2,420,995 Nissan May 2Q; "1947 .7 1" '2428;336 Munschaner Septt 30, 19 l7 meansi rotatably mounted: thereon by means of 

